Hannah Humphrey (active 1745–1818 in London) was a leading London print seller of the 18th century, significant in particular for being the publisher of much of

James Gillray James Gillray (13 August 1756Gillray, James and Draper Hill (1966). ''Fashionable contrasts''. Phaidon. p. 8.Baptism register for Fetter Lane (Moravian) confirms birth as 13 August 1756, baptism 17 August 1756 1June 1815) was a British caricatur ...

's output.The site indicates Humphrey published nearly 650 prints by Gillray; some 270 were issued by other publishers

Biography

The sister of William Humphrey, Hannah Humphrey first started selling prints from her brother's premises. She struck out on her own in 1778 or 1779, when she first established a printshop in St Martin's Lane. Several woman print sellers ran successful businesses in 18th-century London—for example, Mary Darly, Susan Vivares, and Elizabeth Jackson. Humphrey was preeminent among them and became one of the top two print sellers in London, the other one being Samuel Fores. Her shop in St James was visited by a fashionable clientele and had a large stock of social and political caricature, including caricature portraits of leading society figures. Notable artists she published beside Gillray included

Thomas Rowlandson Thomas Rowlandson (; 13 July 175721 April 1827) was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. A prolific artist and printmaker, Rowlandson produced both individual social an ...

and

James Sayers James Sayers (or Sayer) (1748 – April 20, 1823) was an English caricaturist . Many of his works are described in the Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires Preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum which ha ...

. She moved premises a number of times: from 18

Old Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...

(1778–83) to 51

New Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...

(1783–89), to 18

(1790–94), to 37

(1794–97) and finally settling in 27

St James's Street St James's Street is the principal street in the district of St James's, central London. It runs from Piccadilly downhill to St James's Palace and Pall Mall. The main gatehouse of the Palace is at the southern end of the road; in the 17th centur ...

(1797–1817), depicted in the print ''Very Slippy-Weather''. James Gillray lodged with her for much of his working life, and she looked after him after his lapse into insanity around 1810 until his death in 1815. In ''Two-Penny Whist'', the character shown second from the left, an ageing lady with eyeglasses and a bonnet, is widely believed to be a depiction of Humphrey. She was known as Mrs Humphrey although she remained a spinster for all her life. A smuggling machine or a convenient Cos(au)way for a man in miniature

A smuggling machine or a convenient Cos(au)way for a man in miniature

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gillray, James". Encyclopædia Britannica. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 23–24. {{DEFAULTSORT:Humphrey, Hannah Publishers (people) from London Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown 18th-century publishers (people) 19th-century publishers (people) 18th-century English businesspeople 19th-century English businesspeople 18th-century English businesswomen 19th-century English businesswomen